CHAPTER XIV.
MOTOR MATT'S GREAT PLAY.
Instantly all was commotion on board the submarine, but it was orderlycommotion. Clackett jumped to his ballast tanks, Gaines "turned hisengine over," and Carl and Dick hastened into the periscope room.
"Aft with you, Carl," called Matt, "and stand by to take in the sternanchor. Clackett," and Matt's lips passed to the tube leading to thetank room, "forward, and be ready for the bow anchor. Dick," Matt'seyes were again on the periscope table, "bring all the loose coils ofrope you can find and lay them on the locker."
Dick had no notion what the ropes were wanted for, but he went forthem, and soon had four coils laid along the top of the locker. Afterthat, he passed to the steering wheel, standing shoulder to shoulderbeside Matt in front of the periscope table.
There was an atmosphere of expectancy all through the submarine. Everynerve was strained, and each person stood at his post almost with batedbreath. Ysabel, without speaking, came into the periscope room andwatched Matt with steady eyes.
"There she is!" cried Dick, his eyes on the periscope mirror; "I seeher coming!"
Matt also saw the motor launch, breaking into sight against thebackground of indistinct foliage, far up the stream. The boat wascomparatively small, and well loaded. Fingal was in the bow thwarts,with a rifle across his knees; in the stern was Cassidy and a negrosoldier, both likewise armed with rifles. Between Fingal, and Cassidyand the negro, were the prisoners. There were four of them--Jordan,Speake, Tirzal and a slender, full-bearded man in a battered solar hat.Cassidy was close to the gasoline engine and was evidently lookingafter it. Fingal, from the bow, was doing the steering.
"They're all there," said Matt, in a calm, matter-of-fact tone. "Comehere, Ysabel."
The girl stepped obediently to his side. Matt pointed to one of theprisoners reflected in the mirror.
"Is that Coleman?" he asked.
"Yes," was the answer.
"You'd better go back and sit down, Ysabel," said Matt. "Pretty soonwe're going to need all the space we have in this vicinity."
Matt was easy, almost smiling. A great relief had come to him, for thelaunch was in sight with four captives and three captors, and now itlay with Matt alone whether his friends and Coleman should be releasedor not.
"Why don't you do something, matey?" implored Dick, his hands shakingwith excitement.
"I'm waiting for the right time," was the cool answer.
"We've only two revolvers," muttered Dick, "and there are three riflesin that boat. What can we do?"
"Nothing with firearms. We've got to make a different play, Dick."
A moment longer Matt waited, studying the approach of the launch withcalculating eyes; then, suddenly, he turned.
"In with the anchors, Clackett, you and Carl," he called. "See howquick you can get them off the bottom. Start your engine, Gaines," headded.
The lifting of the anchors caused the _Grampus_ to drift with thecurrent. But only for a moment. Soon the screw took the push and Dick,under orders from Matt, headed the craft up-stream and the propellerworked just fast enough to hold her steady.
"Anchor's stowed!" called Clackett.
"Same vay mit me!" came from Carl.
"Jump for the tank room, Clackett!" called Matt. "Carl, up here withyou."
As Carl came rolling excitedly into the periscope room, Clackettreported, by tube, that he was back at his usual post.
Matt turned to Dick.
"Keep the _Grampus_ pointed for the launch, Dick," said he. "Carl, takea coil of rope and climb to the conning-tower hatch. The moment thetower's awash, open the hatch, get out on the deck and do what you canwith the rope."
Carl was bewildered. What was he to do with the rope? "I don'd know nomore as a mu-el," he said to himself, but nevertheless he obeyed orders.
Matt continued to watch the periscope table and to calculate. Then,again suddenly, he whirled to the tube communicating with the tankchamber.
"Empty the tanks by compressed air, Clackett!" he called. "See howquick you can do it! _Everything depends on you!_"
The hiss of the air was heard ejecting the water. The submarine beganto rise.
"Bring her up under the launch, Dick!" cried Matt. "Make no mistake,old chap! _Under the launch_, mind!"
A thrill ran through Dick Ferral's nerves. At last he understood whathis old raggie was about! Had he had time, Dick would have liked togive Motor Matt a hug from sheer admiration.
"When the tanks are empty," shouted Matt to Clackett, "come up, take acoil of rope and rush for the deck."
"Aye, aye, sir!" called Clackett.
The periscope revealed a strange situation. The launch was almost uponthe periscope ball. Too late those in the motor boat recognized thedevice. Before the boat could sheer off, the _Grampus_ had risen underher bodily and lifted her clear of the water. The steel hull of thesubmarine shivered, and wild cries came from those in the motor boat.
Dick grabbed a coil of rope and leaped for the iron ladder.
"Up with the hatch, Carl!" he yelled. "Out on the deck and see how manyyou can pull out of the river."
"Hoop-a-la!" cried Carl, wrenching back on the lever and throwing upthe dripping hatch cover.
He scrambled out.
"Steer from the tower, Dick," Matt called, racing up the ladder, "assoon as the hatchway is cleared."
Clackett followed Matt, and Ysabel Sixty followed Clackett. The thrillof the moment was in the girl's nerves. She could not have held herselfback if she had wanted to. Armed with a coil of rope, she climbed overthe rim of the hatch and onto the slippery plates of the deck.
What Matt saw, when he struck the deck, was an overturned launch in thewater, and two men clinging to the bow of the _Grampus_. One of thesewas Cassidy, and the other was Tirzal. The former was clinging to theflagstaff, and the other to one of the wire cable guys. By an accident,they had held to the curved deck instead of slipping back into thewater.
Dick, from the tower, was able to direct the boat so as to facilitatethe picking up of those in the river.
Carl tossed a rope to Speake, Matt got one to Coleman, and Clackettsucceeded in getting a line in the hands of Jordan. Ysabel tossed oneend of her rope to Fingal, but he flung it aside with an oath. Thenegro soldier reached for it, but Fingal struck his hand fiercelyaside, seized the soldier by the neck and began swimming with himtoward the river bank.
While the rescued prisoners were being hauled aboard, Matt watchedFingal and the negro. The current was swift, but both men were strongswimmers. To Matt's satisfaction he saw the two gain the bank and getsafely upon dry ground. Fingal's move was characteristic of him, for,as soon as he could lift himself, he shook his clenched fist at thesubmarine and those on her deck. If he had had a rifle, undoubtedly hewould have done some shooting.
"Motor Matt!" cried Jordan.
He was sitting on the deck, his back against the side of the conningtower, shaking the water out of his ears.
"Well?" asked Matt.
"Did you come up under that launch by accident, or did you do itpurposely?"
"I had that all figured out, Jordan," laughed Matt.
"It was the greatest play I ever heard of!"
"It was the only one we could make that would stand any show ofwinning. When you, and Speake, and Tirzal left the _Grampus_, you tookall the rifles. We were left with only a brace of six-shooters. Ofcourse I knew better than to try to get the best of Fingal, Cassidy andthe soldier with two popguns when they were armed with rifles."
"Of course you did!" chuckled Jordan. "I'm as wet as a drowned rat,but I'm happy--oh, yes, happier than I ever thought I should be, afew minutes back. By the way, Matt, that gentleman with the drippingwhiskers is Jeremiah Coleman, the fellow we came to rescue, and justmissed leaving a few more prisoners to keep him company. Jerry, shakehands with Motor Matt. He was cracked up pretty high in those messagesfrom New Orleans, and I must say that he fills the bill."
"Glad to meet you, Motor Matt," smiled Col
eman, as he leaned totake Matt's hand. "You've done a fine thing for all of us, and it'ssomething that won't be forgotten in a hurry."
"Dose iss der kindt oof t'ings vat he alvays does," bubbled Carl.
"Cassidy and Tirzal seem to have come aboard without gettin' wet,"remarked Clackett, with a glance of contempt in the direction of themate.
Cassidy sat on the deck with his head bowed, as abject a figure as Mattever saw.
"Which way now, Matt?" asked Dick.
"Belize," replied Matt. "Go down the ladder and let Tirzal take thewheel until we all get below; after that, Tirzal can steer from thetower. Go below, gentlemen," said Dick. "You'll feel more comfortableafter you dry your clothes, and then we can have a talkfest. There area lot of things I've got to find out."
Ysabel led the descent into the periscope room; Coleman followed her,then Tirzal, then Speake, and then Jordan. Clackett and Carl broughtup the rear of the procession, both, with their eyes, telling themelancholy Cassidy what they thought of him as they dropped down thetower hatch.
"Better go below, Cassidy," said Matt calmly.
For answer, the mate jerked a revolver from a belt at his waist andlifted the muzzle to his breast.
In a twinkling, Matt had hurled himself across the slippery deck andknocked the weapon out of Cassidy's hand.
"You're less of a man than I thought you, Cassidy," cried Mattcontemptuously, "to think of such a thing as that!"
Motor Matt's Quest; or Three Chums in Strange Waters Page 15